By Murray Coleman

Both have climbed roughly 50% in the past 12 months. By comparison, the broad retail ETF has gained nearly 11% in that same timeframe. Today, Ross closed up by 5.9%, or $2.80, at $50.42 a share. Meanwhile, TJX finished ahead by 2.9%, or $1.88, at $66.31 a share.

Ross reported December same-store sales increased 9%. Meanwhile, TJX announced a 2-for-1 stock split and reaffirmed its profit forecast. As noted in Barron’s Take today, Target (TGT) and Kohl’s (KSS), which both cut their fourth-quarter profit forecasts, now appear to be on sale. Target fell by 3% and Kohl’s dropped by 1.8% on the day.

Analysts at Avondale boosted their price target on TJX to $76 a share, up $7. At the same time, they raised full-year views on the company. The investment bank reiterated their stance that “consumers would reject price increases on apparel at fuller priced retailers this fall.”

About Focus on Funds

As exchange-traded funds and other investing vehicles have ballooned in number, the task of figuring out what works well and what doesn’t has only gotten harder. Barrons.com’s Focus on Funds looks under the hood of ETFs, mutual funds and hedge funds for overlooked values, actionable ideas and the latest pitfalls for fund investors.

Chris Dieterich has covered the U.S. stock market for The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. He is a graduate of Regis University and the Missouri School of Journalism.